The Price of Love and Other Stories [Hardcover]

Peter Robinson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 29, 2009

From the New York Times bestselling author comes a riveting collection of short fiction, marked by the piercing psychological insight and brilliant characterization that are hallmarks of his acclaimed novels

Ever since the publication of his first mystery featuring Detective Inspector Alan Banks, Peter Robinson has been steadily building a reputation for compulsively readable and perceptive novels that probe the dark side of human nature. Plumbing the territory that he has so successfully staked, The Price of Love and Other Stories includes two novellas and several stories featuring the Yorkshire policeman at his finest.

In the novella "Going Back," never before published in the United States, Banks returns home for a family reunion, only to find it taking a decidedly sinister turn. In "Like a Virgin," written especially for this volume, Banks revisits the period in his life and the terrible crime that led him to leave London for Eastvale. And in between, the disparate motives that move us to harm one another, from love and jealousy to greed and despair, are all explored with fascinating depth.

Edgy and smart, thrilling and suspenseful, this remarkable collection is a must-have for Robinson fans—and any fan of compelling crime fiction.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Bestseller Robinson (All the Colors of Darkness) proves that Yorkshire coppers aren't his only worthwhile subjects in this outstanding story collection. Crime in its myriad forms runs throughout, from an American GI falsely accused of rape during WWII in Cornelius Jubb to a detective remembering his childhood role in bringing down a gang of robbers in The Price of Love. The settings range from the familiar Eastvale of the Inspector Banks series to Robinson's current home in Toronto. He even tries his hand at noir in The Cherub Affair, complete with a down-on-his-luck PI and a beautiful woman in need of help. Banks fans will be delighted with the inclusion of two short stories and two novellas starring the Yorkshire detective chief inspector, one of which, Like a Virgin, is original to this book. For those unfamiliar with Robinson's work, this serves as an excellent introduction to one of the best voices in contemporary crime fiction. (Oct.)
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Review

“The writing is, as always with Robinson, colorful and evocative, and the characters are brilliant in their unpersonable way. This book is a must for Peter Robinson completists, of course, but also for anyone who appreciates good stories well told.” (Globe and Mail (Toronto) )

“This collection distinguishes itself from recent crime anthologies....The final novella is a deeply satisfying procedural.” (Library Journal )

“Outstanding story collection....Banks fans will be delighted....An excellent introduction to one of the best voices in contemporary crime fiction.” (Publishers Weekly (starred review) )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow; First Edition edition (September 29, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061809489
• ISBN-13: 978-0061809484
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,019,320 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Peter Robinson's award-winning novels have been named a Best-Book-of-the-Year by Publishers Weekly, a Notable Book by the New York Times, and a Page-Turner-of-the-Week by People magazine. Robinson was born and raised in Yorkshire but has lived in North America for over twenty-five years. He now divides his time between North America and the U.K.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Exploration of a Dying Art, October 3, 2009

By 

T.B. Grant (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Price of Love and Other Stories (Hardcover)

Peter Robinson is back with a collection of short fiction, a rare find in the world of publishing. Not many authors are given the opportunity to compile a slew of short stories and novellas. It seems like a dying art, until now.

In "The Price of Love", Robinson returns with riveting and insightful stories to shape the human heart. In the title story, "The Price of Love," the author structures his characters around the dark side of human nature. Tommy, the protagonist, stumbles across a law-enforcement badge while playing on the beach during one summer. The treasure, as he calls it, is a sign and a remembrance of his late father. With sharp, clever writing, Robinson does not disappoint in this new outing. His characters are well-drawn and interesting, as is the case with Tommy.

Robinson marks his signature web of storytelling with two novella-length stories featuring the infamous Yorkshire Inspector Alan Banks: "Going Home" and "Like a Virgin." The Inspector, thanks to a well crafted hand, is at his best in this collection. The Inspector's return home for a family reunion turns disastrous in more ways than one. In "Like a Virgin," Robinson takes his main character back to a time of deja vu, where the road leads to a world of crime. The gifted talent of Robinson continues in other Alan Banks short fiction as well: "The Eastval Ladies' Poker Circle," and "Blue Christmas."

The non-Alan Banks stories compiled between these pages also shine in their lumnious prose: "Cornelius Jubb" and "The Magic of Your Touch" deal with the issue of race. "The Cherub Affair", starring Inspector Lang seems like a character Robinson could develop in a new series. "Shadows on the Water" is a creepy outing and one of the highlights in the book. Other non-Banks stories include: "The Ferryman's Beautiful Daughter," "Walking the Dog," and "Birthday Dance."

"The Price of Love and Other Stories" is filled with life's explorations of love, greed, and the unimaginable. Robinson weaves a hand of humility and sacrifce between the pages, and the reader is left with a compelling finale each and every time. Rich with smart and nervy prose, "The Price of Love" is a remarkable endeavor and one that Robinson should be very proud of.

T.B. Grant
10/3/09

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 12 Self-Contained Examples of Writing Done Right, October 19, 2009

By 

Bookreporter (New York, New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Price of Love and Other Stories (Hardcover)

Peter Robinson is best known for his book-length work concerning the exploits of Detective Inspector Alan Banks of the London Major Crimes Unit, which makes THE PRICE OF LOVE AND OTHER STORIES a much-anticipated and most welcome treasure.

Banks is somewhat low-key, possessed of an encyclopedic knowledge of popular music and a tendency to be unlucky in love. He is also, to the criminal mind, a quite lethal adversary. Robinson's sharp characterizations of not only Banks but also of his supporting cast combine with intriguing plots to make this series a revered one among mystery aficionados. The 12 shorter works that comprise THE PRICE OF LOVE do not all concern Banks, but exhibit the same high quality of craft as do their better known (and longer) cousins.

THE PRICE OF LOVE is wisely and delightfully bookended by two Inspector Banks novellas. "Going Back" opens the volume; it had never been published in the United States before, though portions of it appear in CLOSE TO HOME. The story deals with Banks's somewhat reluctant return home for a family reunion occasioned by his parents' golden wedding anniversary. Robinson does not begin with pyrotechnics; instead, he pulls off the neat trick of perfectly capturing the tediousness of coming back to a small town and the awkwardness of an adult child around aged parents with whom contact is infrequent and irregular. Even so, Robinson somehow manages to quietly ratchet up the suspense in increments.

"Like a Virgin," the novella that closes the collection, was written especially for THE PRICE OF LOVE. Banks revisits the horrific event that resulted in his transplant from London to Eastvale. While suspenseful, it is the cerebral aspects of "Like a Virgin" that ultimately make the story what it is. The manner in which Robinson slices in and out of life and the emotions, constructive and otherwise, define our humanity. As with so much of his work, he mines deep territory without burying the reader in the gravitas of the subject matter. It is a perfect way to end the book.

And what about the material that lays between the beginning and end? These stories --- even the eight pieces that don't feature Banks --- are also worth reading. One does not think of Robinson as a writer of dark fantasy, yet "The Magic of Your Touch" is just that --- and perfect to boot. Fans of the genre will see what's coming within the first page or two, yet the joy of the journey is such that you will not mind. "Birthday Dance," on the other hand, tiptoes slowly to a bad place that is revealed about two-thirds of the way through; even after its surprising revelation, Robinson saves the best for last, a shocking scene that is only a sentence or two in length yet stays coiled in the mind.

With so many good stories --- not a bad one in the pack --- it's hard to choose a winner. Actually, on second thought, it's not. "Blue Christmas," a Banks story written for a limited edition work, is worth the price of admission all by itself. While it is very different from most of the tales appearing in the Banks canon, anyone unfamiliar with Robinson's work will immediately seek out each and every volume that he has written based on this short and simple account dealing with the interruption of Banks's Christmas by a missing persons case.

Robinson is simply incapable of writing anything badly. And THE PRICE OF LOVE features 12 self-contained examples of writing done right.

--- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I highly recommend, November 10, 2009

By 

Nancy C. "napilinan" (SAN DIEGO, CA USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Price of Love and Other Stories (Hardcover)

I'm not normally a fan of short stories, but I'm a huge Peter Robinson fan so I bought The Price of Love. I loved it. Some of the stories have already been described by other reviewers so I'll just say I liked every one and I think you will too. I liked the Inspector Alan Banks stories as they gave new insight into his past. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good story.